Fabric-display rack



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. F. AMES.

FABRIC DISPLAY RACK.

Patented June 30, 1896.

V o 6 0 wfiwn n mm UN 7 a 1mm 2 WI /[706 a 6 es UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANKLIN AMES, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

FABRIC-DISPLAY RACK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Fatent No. 563,004, dated. June 30, 1896. Application filed January 13, 1896. Serial No. 575,262. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANKLIN AMES, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Fabric-Display Racks'fwhich is fully set forth in the following specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a plan view of my invention. Fig. 2 is a front elevation with parts broken away and parts removed. Fig. 3 is a vertical section of the line 3 3, Fig. 1. Figs. 4 and 5 are plan views of portions of the upper and lower pin-bars, respectively, so placed as to show the relative positions of the pins thereon. Fig. 6 is an elevation of the same. Fig. 7 is a detailed perspective of one of the upper hinge-castings.

My invention relates to the device for displaying fabrics, particularly for displaying carpets. It has been and is the usual practice in exhibiting carpets to the purchasers to unroll partially or wholly the rolls of carpets, a practice which requires considerable floor-room and much time and labor. To obviate these disadvantages, I have devised the construction hereinafter described in the form of a display-rack, to which a large number of carpet-samples may be attached, and upon which they may be conveniently and successively displayed.

Referring to the drawings by letter, A in dicates the ordinary upright column,to which, or to any similar post, my display-rack may be attached. In the case of a circular column, as here represented, I form two collars, an upper and a lower, B B, about the same, each of which may be composed of the four quadrant-sectionsB 13 13 15 The sections B and B may be clamped together by the perforated ears I) b. The sections B and B and B and B are similarly clamped together, the ears in these cases being prolonged to form horizontally-projecting arms I) Z) and 11 5 respectively. Finally, the sections B and B are secured to each other through the ears b 19 between which is clamped a horizontallyextending arm 6 The arms Z1 b of the upper collar are attached to the corresponding arms I) b of the lower collar by the braces C C.

Supported by and between the arms 19 and b and b and b, respectively, of the upper collar I secure the diagonally-disposed pinbars D and D Similarly on the arms of the lower collar are arranged the corresponding pin-bars D and D vertically beneath D and D These pin-bars may be supported from the said arms in any convenient way, as by being bolted through the downwardly-proj ecting bracket portions D at the ends of the pin-bars. Each of the pin-bars is provided with a series of upright pins d d (1 (1 respectively. The pins upon the lower pin-bars are not placed vertically beneath the correspondin g pins upon the upper pin-bars. Thus the lines 00 y and a: z of Fig. 2 show the di vergence from such a vertical arrangement in the case of the pins (1 and d. Similarly, the lines x y and 00 z in Figs. 4. and 5 illustrate further the arrangement employed, which is again, from another point of view, clearly shown in Fig 6.

The display-rack arms E are formed each of a horizontal portion E and a perpendicular portion E and are strengthened each by braces F F. To the lower end of these two is screwed a hinge-casting E divided with a projecting perforated ear 6, adapted to be pivoted upon one of the pins (1 The upper end of E is provided with a hinge-casting E", which is preferably formed with the vertical portions 6 and e and the connecting cross part 6 inclosing the end of the arm upright E The part c is prolonged to form the perforated ear e adapted to be pivoted upon one of the pins (1.

The rod G is threaded through the ringscrews g, carried on the lower edge of each of the arms E. From the rod G is suspended the carpet or other fabric H to be exhibited.

The operation of my device is apparent from the foregoing description of its construction. The normal position of the display-rack arms is that which a majority of them occupy in Fig. 1. To exhibit the samples of fabrics, the salesman will swing an entire group of arms outward. Each arm will thus be brought into the position illustrated in Fig. 2, slightly out of the horizontal and with its center of gravity raised. Each arm will therefore tend to return from such position to its normal position, as in Fig. 1. The salesman, commencing with the innermost Ice arm of the group of arms so swung outward, will allow each arm in succession to swing back to its normal position, whereby all the fabrics are exhibited in succession. Moreover, by my construction, since the arms are thicker than the fabrics which they support, when the arms lie side by side and in con tact in their normal position they form a d ust proof roof over the said fabrics. Finally, since the arms lie normally side by side, the

display-rack occupies a minimum of space when not in use.

Various modifications of the construction which I have illustrated and described may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention, and naturally suggest themselves. Thus there may be but one pair of pinbars D and D and such a pair of pin-bars, instead of being supported upon the rectangularly-disposed supporting-arms b and 19 &c., secured to a single column, may be extended in length and supported from adjoining columns by any convenient form of bracket. I do not, therefore, limit myself strictly to the aforesaid construction; but

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In afabric-display rack, upper and lower pin-bars secured to suitable supports; a series of display-arms each pivoted to both of the said pin-bars, the lower pivotal point being slightly offset with reference to the corresponding upper pivotal point of each display-arm, so that the said arms tend to re main closed in some one given position; the

said display-arms being of such width, and so disposed relatively to each other, as to form a continuous dust-proof roof or covering over the fabrics supported by the said arms, when the said arms are closed.

2. I11 a fabric-display rack, a framework comprising an upper and lower set of horizontal supporting-arms arranged at right angles to each other, means for adapting the said arms to an upright support, upper and lower pin-bars diagonally disposed between the said supporting-arms provided with pins d and (1 respectively, the pins (2 being slightly offset from 'a position Vertically beneath the pins d, and the display-arms each pivoted to a pin d and a pin d in such a manner that the said display-arm is raised when swung outward from its normal position and tends to return thereto.

3. In a fabric-display rack, the horizontal upper and lower supporting-arms arranged at right angles to each other, means for attaching the same to an upright support, pinbars arranged diagonally between and supported by the said supporting-arms; pins d and (i upon the upper and lower pin-bars,

respectively, arranged as shown and described; the display-arms E pivoted to the pins (1 and d and provided with means for attaching the fabrics to be exhibited thcreto.

FRANKLIN AMES. Vitnesses:

ALOYSIA HELMICH, A. A. MURRAY. 

